HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WESTERN LOUISIANA,
Alexandria, La., November 21, 1862.

Hon. GEORGE W. RANDOLPH,

Secretary of War, Richmond, Va.:

SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of October 15, relative to the suspension of the conscript law in certain parishes. In the last report which I had the honor to render to the Department I set forth the difficulties existing in many parishes against the action of this law, and the list of exceptions is now so much increased by the recent exception bill as almost to nullify the operation of the extension act. The parishes in which it has been ound most difficult to execute the conscript law are the river parishes from Carroll down and the Gulf parishes from New Orleans to the Sabine River. Acting upon the authority recently granted to me I have empowered parties possessing local influence to raise volunteer organizations in several of these parishes, but thus far with very limited success. In many instances it becomes necessary to scour the country with cavalry in order to bring the conscripts to the camps of instruction.

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. TAYLOR,

Major-General.

HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF WESTERN LOUISIANA,
Alexandria, La., November 21, 1862.

(Received December 4, 1862.)

General S. COOPER, C. S. A.,

Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va.:

GENERAL: A telegraphic dispatch from the honorable Secretary of War, dated November 3, to Brigadier General M. L. Smith, relative to cloth and wool in charge of Captain Sharkey which have arrived at Alexandria, has been forwarded to me. Some weeks since, finding a large supply of cloth at this place i charge of no officer, Captain Sharkey not having arrived, the condition of the troops in this district was such that clothing was absolutely necessary to render them efficient or even available in the field, and I therefore directed my chief quartermaster to take of the cloth enough to clothe these troops. This he did, and it has been cut out and distributed throughout the parishes to be made up, a portion having already been given out to the troops. On the arrival of Captain Sharkey the cloth and wool (with the exception of the small quantity taken for the use above mentioned) were placed upon steamboats to be transported to the east bank of the Mississippi River, when an order from Major-General Holmes, commanding the Trans-Mississippi Department, was received, directing all the cloth to be carried to Little Rock, Ark. Every facility has been afforded Captain Sharkey by me toward effecting the transportation of the stores in his charge, as also to other officers passing through my district with army supplies.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. TAYLOR,

Major-General, Commanding.

[Indorsement.]

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

December 8, 1862.

Respectfully returned to the Secretary of War. I beg to call his at-